In today’s lecture, Dr. Fred Edie spoke about “The Natural History of Two Meals”. The students were encouraged to be mindful of the relationship between God’s creation, God’s desire for justice and the food we eat. The lecture was based on the book entitled, “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” by Michael Pollan. In the book Pollan chronicles four types of meals from the field to the table including a McDonald’s Value meal. Dr. Edie presented a comparison of the Industrial type meal such as McDonald’s and the Local Organic meal. The students were asked to consider two questions: 1 - Where do these meals come from? and 2 - What are the consequences, intended or unintended, to the planet earth when we eat these meals? The Industrial meals start with corn i.e., cows are fed corn instead of grass and chickens are fed corn instead of bugs. In addition, High Fructose Corn Syrup is used in nearly everything we eat from ketchup to yogurt. Unfortunately, we all pay the price because of ecological unsustainability, obesity and exploitation of industrial servers mainly teenagers. In contrast, the Local Organic Meal begins with a pasture, ethical treatment of farm animals and a healthier society. In conclusion, we were all encouraged to consider - eating less beef and poultry; growing our own food (vegetables) as two possible solutions for honoring the relationship that we have with God’s creation and the food we eat.

Quotes

“The Golden Arches (McDonald’s) is an empire built out of corn.” Dr. Fred Edie during lecture“I’m not leaving this place until I see a cow!” Julian Pridgen, Jr. – Residence Assistant “I really wanted to eat a bug but the RA wouldn’t let me.” — A DYA student refering to her service activity at Chestnut Ridge Camper graden.

Other Activities

Oh to be a youth…energetic, enthusiastic and excited about serving the Lord! Of course, a Saturday at the Duke Youth Academy is not your typical Saturday. It starts off with a morning prayer, breakfast at 8 am and then off to Chestnut Ridge Camp. The students were assigned community service work in one of three areas: weeding the Camper Garden, Clearing the EcoEternity Forest or cleaning the dining area porch including a tour of the Community Farm complete with cows, chickens, pigs and sheep.

After the service projects, the afternoon worship was led by Sarah Howell. The Homily focused on being mindful of our human tendency to be superior over God’s creation because of fear. The scripture readings reminded us that our fear is unjustifiable because God is “A God of Abundance”. Our songs of praise emphasized God’s beautiful creation – “…You make beautiful things out of dust”. We expressed our gratefulness to God with Thanksgiving and Communion surrounded by God’s beautiful rustic setting. After worship, we enjoyed a delicious chicken fajita lunch with fresh ingredients locally grown and the students were given several choices for recreation or rest. We returned to the dorms by 4 pm then we showered, ate dinner and enjoyed a “Celebrating the Arts Concert” in the Goodson Chapel. The day ended with Loco Pops and fun fellowship in the dorm. Tomorrow we are looking forward to our much needed Sabbath Rest.

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Welcome to Youth Academy

This journal offers a glimpse into teaching sessions, service projects, lectionary texts and worship experiences at the Duke Youth Academy, providing a sense of the daily patterns and practices that shape students throughout their two weeks on campus.

Theme: Life in the Spirit: The Church as a Community of Reconciliation
Faculty Speaker: Dr. Mary McClintock Fulkerson, Professor of Theology and Director of the Program in Gender, Theology, and Ministry
Lectionary Texts: Ezekiel 37:1-14; Psalm 104: 1a, 24-35; Romans 8:14-27; Acts 2:1-14a, 22-47